Geoffrey Keezer does not own any shares in Qualcomm, the San Diego-based international telecom giant. But Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs and his wife, Joan, have put some stock in this acclaimed pianist and solo artist, who lives in North Park and has collaborated with Sting and such jazz icons as Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter and the late Ray Brown.

“Geoffrey plays exceedingly well,” said Irwin Jacobs, who met Keezer when he and singer Denise Donatelli performed at a private Qualcomm event at the Jacobses’ La Jolla home.

Keezer has earned multiple Grammy nominations for his duo albums with Donatelli. He was immediately taken with the warmth and graciousness of the Jacobs — and with the luminous sound of their 9-foot Steinway grand piano. The former Qualcomm chairman was so impressed by Keezer’s musical excellence and improvisational ingenuity that he invited the keyboard wizard to record on the Jacobses’ Steinway.

In 2011, Keezer spent two days doing exactly that. The result is his sublime new solo album, “Heart of the Piano” (Motéma Records), a sparkling showcase for his compositional prowess, dazzling technical command and depth of expression.

The album was produced by La Jolla Athenaeum jazz program director Daniel Atkinson, who introduced Keezer to the Jacobs. Atkinson is also a co-founder of San Diego’s KMF Audio, which in 2007 developed the state-of-the-art recording microphones used to make “Heart” and the Grammy-nominated 2007 album “Standards,” which features a trio anchored by ex-Weather Report drummer Peter Erskine.

"Irwin and Joan have been supporters of the Athenaeum's jazz programming for the past 15 to 20 years," Atkinson noted. "Joan called me in late 2010 to say that they need musical performers for a Qualcomm event at their home. I suggested Geoffrey and Denise , and they went over very well. And, for years, Irwin had said, very generously: 'If you have a project you want to record on our piano, please let me know.' This (album by Keezer) was perfect."

In hindsight, it almost seems as if the stars were in rare alignment for the "Heart" album to be made.

“We almost always go to the jazz concerts at the Athenaeum,” said Jacobs, who in his teen years was an avocational jazz trombonist and clarinetist.

“Geoffrey performed in the music room at our home (with Donatelli), and liked the setting and the piano. And Dan had helped develop a special stereo microphone. That all came together in the recording they did here, so we’re very pleased to have been able to do that and then have it turn out so well.”

Keezer is equally delighted, especially since “Heart” has been submitted for Grammy Award nomination consideration.

“Irwin and Joan Jacobs are huge supporters of the arts and music, both classical and jazz,” said Keezer, who plays a free solo concert here Sunday afternoon, Sept. 1, at the Encinitas Library. “Many concerts that go on in San Diego, in large part, are because of the Jacobses’ generosity. And they've been in the front row for several of my concerts in San Diego.”

He chuckled.

“On one of the two nights we were recording, Irwin came in about 10 p.m. and said: ‘I just got home from the White House; I had dinner yesterday with President Obama.’ And I said: ‘That’s fantastic. I just went to In-N-Out Burger for a cheeseburger!’ ”

But Keezer is no stranger to at least one former American president, as trumpet star Chris Botti can personally attest. When ot pursuing his solo projects, Keezer is the pianist in Botti's band.

“We did a private concert in December for Bill Clinton at Sting’s apartment in New York,” the trumpeter said. “Clinton went up to Geoff afterward, and said: ‘I have albums in my car by (jazz piano giants) Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum, and I’ve never witnessed anyone else who has the prowess that you have on piano.’ Then I said to President Clinton: ‘Yeah, everyone plays golf, but only Geoff is Tiger Woods’.”

Keezer’s new album is his first solo piano outing in 13 years. It mixes his fetching original compositions with ingenious reinventions of songs by Peter Gabriel (“Come Talk To Me”), Alanis Morissette (“Still”) and 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Rush (“Limelight”), which Irwin Jacobs cites as his favorite song on "Heart."

Geoffrey Keezer performs "Limelight" by Rush

“Rush is a band I’ve loved ever since I first heard them when I was 10 years old and bought their ‘Moving Pictures’ album,” said Keezer, who was just 18 when he joined drum legend Art Blakey’s famed Jazz Messengers band in 1989. “From that point on, I bought every Rush record and saw every tour they did.

“When I choose material to play by other artists, it has to have a melody or chords that I like, and/or lyric content that is meaningful to me. Obviously, I don’t play the lyrics on the piano, but it has to be something I connect with on a personal level. ‘Limelight’ is probably my favorite Rush song. And I think (jazz trio) The Bad Plus did (the extremely popular Rush song) ‘Tom Sawyer’.”

Keezer honed his solo piano-playing prowess while in the Jazz Messengers.

“I can probably credit Art Blakey with teaching me how to play solo piano, just by making me do it!” said Keezer, who is married to Susan Wulff, the associate principal bassist for the San Diego Symphony.

“As Art’s health declined, he’d take longer and longer breaks, and leave me up on stage — alone — for 20 to 30 minutes a night. So Art has everything to do with me playing solo piano. Art loved the piano, because he played piano. Every so often when we were on tour, Art would sit down at the piano. He'd play it and sing 'For All We Know'."

CDs were overtaking vinyl albums in popularity when Keezer joined Blakey's band 24 years ago. Today, the CD seems almost as quaint and outdated as vinyl albums, a point the pianist takes into account when making his albums.

"It's different now," he affirmed. "The jump from (vinyl) LPs s to CDs affected how people sequenced things. Because with vinyl albums, there was Side 1 and Side 2. And CDs were one, long extended play. Now, with people downloading individual tracks, one apprach it to put all the 'hits' up front and get (more) iTunes (traction). The other is to (still) make an album, because some people still sit down and listen to them, and I still like albums that tell a story.

"So, I put together albums like I do concerts. I want people to walk away from my piano performancers feeling like they got their heads blown off by Mötley Crüe for two hours! But I try to balance that with some beauty, as well. I try to give people a really visceral experience."